


If only a rose gave him life again, if only a letter and a poppy didn’t cause pain.

by Tidalstep



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Boy howdy where do I start-, Hurt No Comfort, I almost cried writing this so that’s a plus, Keith and Shiro are dating but they wanted to be with Lance too, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Mentioned polyamory, Other, Polyamory, Y’all thought I was done making you cry?, a side note that the ‘ will be for like memories and stuff, but I’ll keep doing it anyways, haha - Freeform, honestly someone should stop me, if you cry then I’m sorry but also I’m not, is it illegal to write sadistic shit like this because I can?, not sorry but I’m never done, oh right, probably, rip @ me, this is kind of shit because it’s 3 am and not beta read but fuck it, this is literally just pain, tw: death, until I can beta read this shit and put in italics without shooting myself, whoops, yep that’s it haha have fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-09-23
Packaged: 2019-01-04 09:49:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12166512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tidalstep/pseuds/Tidalstep
Summary: There wasn’t anything they could do, though. The greatest thing in the universe was dulled out by a mission gone wrong, a planet lost, and a letter with words they’d wanted to hear since the first day they saw him.Unfortunately, they were too late then. They both stand there, recalling they day they lost their possible third partner, the light to their dark even without an actual romantic bond there.





	If only a rose gave him life again, if only a letter and a poppy didn’t cause pain.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m not even sorry anymore honestly I just was singing “Supermarket Flowers” by Ed Sheeran to myself and nearly cried thinking of langst to go with it. So, this happened. It’s not beta’d yet I’m tired and can barely type but here take it tell me what you think (this is like a future sort of thing for my fic Letters so it’s jusy pain sorry). DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN VOLTRON OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS (this goes for all my fan works) THIS IS PURELY FICTION AND I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OF ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS ONLY THE FIC ITSELF OKAY ENJOY.

Keith sets down the flowers, few stray tears falling onto the earth below. Shiro appears behind him, setting a heavy hand on his shoulder before holding him in his arms. 

“Ten years already, huh?” Shiro asks softly. 

“Mhm,” Keith says, “but he shouldn’t have been the one to go, Shiro. I miss him so much…” 

“I do too, Keith…” Shiro agrees, burying his face in Keith’s shoulder. 

There wasn’t anything they could do, though. The greatest thing in the universe was dulled out by a mission gone wrong, a planet lost, and a letter with words they’d wanted to hear since the first day they saw him. 

Unfortunately, they were too late then. They both stand there, recalling they day they lost their possible third partner, the light to their dark even without an actual romantic bond there.

‘Keith rolled out of the way, narrowly dodging another blast from the druid. He lodged his sword into the chest of one and clean through the head of another. 

Before he could go for another, they were all shot down with deadly accuracy. Keith looked to the direction of the shot, seeing Lance shoot another druid behind Shiro, before getting two more coming up to Keith. 

“Careful, samurai,” Lance said, “don’t need you dying on us now.” 

“Thanks-” Keith replied, before pausing and staring dumbly at Lance, observing him and Shiro. While Shiro was mostly okay, a few cuts here and there, Lance… he looked like the fresh version of hell drunk on vodka and motor oil. 

His helmet was cracked, his hands looked like they were burned through his gloves, and his armour was torn everywhere at least once. 

“Lance, what the hell?!” Keith screeched, causing Lance to wince. 

“What’s got your mullet in a twist now?” Lance replied, tone concerned but a bit hurt. 

Keith bristled and softened slightly (read: barely). He swiftly made his way towards where Lance and Shiro were, cutting through every oncoming enemy like butter, dodging oncoming shots before they were sniffed out by a bullet or a blade through their armour. 

“Your armour is torn, Lance, and your helmet is cracked. You tell me to be careful? Look at yourself!” Keith worried, staring at Lance's face as it shifted from hurt, to anger, to something Keith couldn’t read. Indifference? 

“Don’t worry, Mullet. Guess they just can’t get enough of me, huh?” 

“Lance, don’t joke! You could get killed being so reckless, and that’s my job as you do often say.” 

Lance looked at him blankly, seeming to drift, before smiling at him, though something was off. His smile didn’t reach his eyes, which were like the ocean overcast by a storm; dull and unseeing. He looked almost sad, and… and hopeful, tired, cold. 

Keith didn’t know how to feel about that. 

“It’s fine, Keith. Besides, you would find someone to replace me anyways.” Lance replied, before turning and shooting a few druids behind him and Shiro, smile still in place. 

“I’m sorry, what?” Keith questioned, concerned. Did he really just hear Lance say that? 

Lance seemed to snap back then, worry taking over his features “I mean- you wouldn’t- I wouldn’t- ignore that, I’m fine.” Lance said, hands shaking and eyes looking anywhere but Keith. 

What. The. Hell. 

“Lance, focus,” Shiro said, using his Galra arm to take out enemies easily, “Keith, you too. This isn’t the time or place to talk about this. When we’re back at the castle, then you can talk, which you will.” 

Lance froze, Keith watched him lower his head and steady his hands. He looked like a statue, still and unfeeling, before he raised his head up again, a self deprecating smirk on his face. 

“Will do, space daddy.” 

“Ugh, don’t call me that.” 

Keith snickered, shook his head, and resumed slicing through enemy after enemy, not noticing Lance's face fall and his eyes go dead again. 

He should’ve asked sooner. They both should have noticed, but it was too late after that. 

A varga later, a battle being lost, Keith heard a pained shout behind him. He whipped his head around, and the world stopped. 

Lance was crouched over, blood seeping through the already torn and burned fabric of his gloves, hands pressed to his side. His face was starting to pale, his eyes were lost, his gaze not there but pointed in the direction of the Galra officer who shot him. 

Keith couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t move. He stood and watched as Lance wetly coughed and blood splattered onto the rock below him. 

The Galra raised his weapon again, pointing it at Lance who couldn’t do anything but stare numbly, feeling nothing but pain, pain, pain, relief. 

Keith dashed towards him, feet pounding heavy and heart beating so fast it was white noise. The gun shot through Lance's chest, and Keith screamed almost as loud as Lance did, both pained, but Lances soon turned into a laugh. 

Keith caught Lance as he fell, tried to put pressure on the hole through his chest to no avail. All he could see was red and Lances beautiful blue eyes sparkling with something genuine, something real; happiness.

Keith couldn’t feel Lances pulse, each beat fading out as the life drained from his body, one breath of last words fading from his lips, seeming to carry his soul with him. 

“Read the letters in my room, Samurai. I’m sorry.” 

Lance smiled, sad and soft, before it fell, and his eyes died, a single tear making its foreign way down his cheek. Keith’s own mixed in and he sobbed, holding Lance even as they left the planet, destroyed and lost, hearts torn and broken.

No one stopped crying after that.’

Keith sobs, clinging onto Shiro desperately. Him and Shiro had gotten together a while after that, but both of them had liked and respected Lance long before. 

While everything seemed platonic, it wasn’t until after he died and after they dated that everything finally sank in. 

It wasn’t platonic, and they had long since lost any chance of changing that. 

Shiro pries Keith off of him gently after a while, setting down two freshly written letters under the gravestone, before taking Keith’s hand in his as they walk away. 

They'll be back, they are every year; with a letter each to him and flowers, as he would’ve wanted. 

|R.I.P. Lance McClain, 07/28/98 - 07/28/15. Sharpshooter, loved by all, remembered by the galaxy|

**Author's Note:**

> Come scream at me on my tumblr: @lmnomo 
> 
> Check out my profile for my other fics if you want please I’d appreciate it :’)


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